Rebuilding

It has been six weeks since my last marathon.  And five weeks since the last time I ran 20 miles.  The 20 miler caused me more problems than any run since I had recovered from the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Hal Marathon in 2010.  The first week after the fateful 20, I ran less than 4 miles.  The second week after the 20, I ran a little further but it was still less than 8.  Then, in the last three weeks, I have run 24, 26, and 28 miles with long runs of 6, 8, and 10.  That is a reminder of how I had to build when I first became a marathon runner, although that process of building was even slower.  Nevertheless, it was (and continues to be) a good reminder of the need for humility and patience.

As I look ahead, the only race on my calendar before Comrades is the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day.  The goal of that day will be to help my ten year old get his course best.  Don't expect him to have his best race ever on the hilly course, but it would be great to bring him under 30 minutes for our Thanksgiving tradition.

When all was said and done, I am focused on strength, flexibility, lower miles (for me 30 total is lower) and less distance on the longest run of the week for a while.  Next week, I'll go back up to 30 and maybe a half marathon distance.  Then, I'll take five weeks to build back to 40 miles and maybe do 15 for my long before the end of the year.

The other thing that is so different for me is the fact that I ran all four runs (7, 6, 5, and 10) with others.  Four different running partners.  Four very different experiences.  A surprise track workout.  A just plain fast six.  A wonderfully easy 5.  And then 10 at a pace that is faster than I need to run but which helped my partner have her last long run before a marathon next weekend.

Running is doing such different things for me in my life.  New lessons.  New emphases.  It is always interesting to see how it continues to evolve in my life.

As the fall marathon season closes for my fellow runners and I am not five years since my first marathon, it will be interesting to see what the next half decade brings for me.

5 Very Easy Miles and Dealing with Variation

On Monday I ran five easy miles around the neighborhood.  I had wanted to run more but when all was said and done I was not able to get out of the house much before 6 and I ended up with just enough time to do 5 miles at at 8:30 pace.  Nothing spectacular.  A 5 mile course I've been running since I came back to running and could go five miles.  Just easy.  Just to keep the legs moving and log the miles.  

That put me at 386.5 miles total.  That puts me on Royalton Rd headed out of Lancaster, Ohio just a bit west us US 33.

On Sunday morning it was not bitterly cold.  
On Sunday afternoon it was very cold standing out at my nine year old's lacrosse practice.

Over the weekend I ran 7 harder miles on Saturday morning.
On Sunday and Monday I did easier runs.

For the rest of the year other than Lent we can sing Alleluia.  
During Lent the word does not appear in song.  (Although we did say Hallelujah a lot during the celebration of life on Saturday.

Most weeks we have Sunday school class.  I am teacher.
On Sunday we had a Lenten family day instead.  I was parent.

There are so many things that vary from one day to the next.  From one moment to the next sometimes.

God has Blessed me with an ability to handle--and even to enjoy--change.  

Not everyone does.

I virtually experience a wide variety of terrains.  A wide variety of how urban things are.  A wide variety of virtual temperatures.  A wide variety of temperaments toward my running.  A wide variety of solitary and running with friends experiences.  A wide variety of paces.  A wide variety of courses.  As much variety of my running as in the rest of my life.  Variation is good.  It is challenging.  It is fulfilling.  It keeps me mentally nimble as well.  

Thank you, God.  

Mother Nature's Prank

This morning I was preparing to go to the Dunbar track for a workout at approximately 4:55.  As I put on my contact lens, got dressed warmly, and raced out the door to try to avoid being late, I noticed that it seemed to be sleeting.  As I quickly sat in the driver's seat of my car, I noticed that I had somehow missed a call from one of the two people with whom I was supposed to run.  As I quickly called my training partner back (I don't usually call people at 5 AM), the sleet continued.  We decided that since we did not know how long it would continue, we would call off our workout. 

As I checked on how much more to expect, I noticed that the local online weather indicated "light ice pellets".  That term surprised me, so I posted about it on Facebook.  Much to my surprise, the post ended up with more than a dozen comments about the difference between sleet and ice pelled.  My one friend who is a trained meteorologist commented that the term ice pellet was more accepted internationally.  So I joked that just like The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (see the symbol to the right), I could call the weather The Precipitation Formerly Known as Sleet.  Clever, perhaps.  But some friends claims their local weather coverage said there was still a difference.  

More importantly, as I returned to the warm interior of my house, it gave me a chance to rethink my priorities for the morning.  Yes, I would have loved to do a track workout.  We had planned 800 meter intervals and I would likely have done six or more at a very quick pace.  But instead, I began by making semolina flour pizza dough.  It ended up making a decent dinner, but my eight year old is rarely sufficiently patient to get the best pizza out of a dough.

Then, I took my dog for a relatively long walk.  She was incredibly happy.  That made me happy as well.

Next, I did run.  Just 3.1 miles at an easy pace.  But that was what I needed.  No pressure.  No hype.  Just a relaxing opportunity to use my legs and get the heart going a little.

Then, I went to the grocery store.  And eventually, I did make it to work on time and had a good day at work.

So, my friends and I decided not to take a risk and instead of getting a great workout and feeling incredibly pressured otherwise, I got a good workout and had an opportunity to take care of some other quite important things.

That is a good lesson to learn--sometimes a change in plans creates new opportunities.  Each change should be taken not as inherently a setback but as an opportunity to take another path that may turn out to be even better.  

A Few More Thoughts on the New Pope

The new Pope seems theologically conservative.  I don't expect to see a change in the church's stands on contraception, ordination of women, marriage for priests, same ses marriage, etc.  But he is described as a person who does not put himself above others.  He asked for the congregation to pray for him before he blessed them.  He took Francis as a name--in honor of someone who gave up riches to lead a simple life.  He took public transit back in Argentina.  He cooked for himself.  He followed soccer.  He is reported to get up at 4:30 AM.  It seems that his focus may be more on social justice issues--which is a lot of what Jesus focused on in his teachings.

So, while I may still have some views that diverge with the church and the pontiff, I believe that there is a strong possibility that I will feel a greater connection.  That I could imagine myself getting to know this Pope.  If we go back to the description of some presidential candidates past--I could imagine sitting and having a drink with him in ways that would have been hard to imagine with other recent Popes.

Yes, he is 76.  As a result, his tenure as Pope is not likely to be the longest.  But perhaps given what I have mentioned above and all the "firsts" about this Pope, it is a sign of a different focus to come.  We shall see.